Snowballs: Preferably in the Back of the Head
by ChristmasBelle
Summary: Katara is from the Southern Water Tribe, and guess what one of her favorite activities consists of? A Fire Nation Prince, some dirty snow, and a good arm!


It was early morning when Katara decided to throw a snowball at Zuko. He had been asleep on the ground, with some weird blanket draped over him that smelled like soot. He kept on snorting smoke when he snored. Who _did _that?

When the snowball had hit Zuko, he had sat up abruptly in bed and looked directly at Katara, who had flown into her sleeping bag with a dorky smile on her face.

"Katara? Are you awake?"

"What?" Katara pretended as if Zuko had just woken her up.

"Yeah, that's real convincing. What do you think you're doing, whipping chunks of ice at me while I'm SLEEPING?" Zuko crossed his arms and glared at her, his scar looking a little more menacing than usual. His hair was mussed from sleep on one side and slicked down by the wet trail of watery snow that had breezed through it.

Katara did not turn around, and kept staring into her sleeping bag, trying not to laugh.

"I realize that you hate me, and probably will continue to do so until I'm ashes in an urn, but could you limit your relentless torturing of me between six in the morning and nine at night? I don't appreciate your immature ideas of fun. What if that ice in that snowball had stabbed me in the cerebrum? Not so funny now, is it?" Zuko kept glaring at Katara's back, but she was only laughing harder into her sleeping bag, so hard, in fact, that she had started crying.

Sokka, who had been having a pleasant dream about Yue, was awoken immediately by Zuko who stated, rather loudly, "Are you CRYING?"

"Heh-what? WHAT?" Sokka sprang out of bed. "You made my sister CRY!"

Zuko looked crossly at Sokka, whose hair was also rather wild and hilarious. But Zuko wasn't laughing. "It just so happens, Sokka, that your sister threw a large ball of snow at me and woke me up a few minutes ago. And now, for some reason, she's crying."

Sokka had only heard, "threw a large ball of snow at me" and he perked up immediately. "Really now?" Sokka addressed Katara, "How big we talking here, sis? You get'm straight in the back of the head? Or was a between-the-eyes one? I'd go for that one- especially since one of his eyes is barely functional."

Zuko was getting even madder. "You're not listening to me, Sokka! Your sister, who is always complaining about "hope" and "helping others", decided to play a ridiculous prank on me in the middle of the night, and all you can do is praise her for it?"

"Well, Zu, I don't blame you for going all spazzy. Katara has gotten me in the head lots of times."

Katara had rolled to face Zuko now. "Zuko's head isn't exactly easy to miss. Swollen heads are often a cause of swollen egos." She smirked.

Sokka laughed. "Good one, Katara." Then he saw Zuko's face, painted with fury. "Well, it was."

"I think your waterbender here is conceited with the knowledge that she's better than me. I have nothing over her when it comes to righteousness," Zuko said coldly. "But I know now where that line is drawn, and to me, your sister and I are on opposite sides."

Katara stood and stalked over to Zuko, getting close enough to see the breath that was unfurling itself from his mouth into the brisk air. "And what" she said dangerously, "is that supposed to mean?"

Sokka shrunk back until he was behind Appa, and then he slunk even farther into the woods. He wanted no part in Zuko and Katara's scary "bending battle" arguments.

When Sokka had left, Zuko peered at the space in the trees where he had gone, ignoring Katara.

"He's gone now. That was pretty clever, but then again, Sokka isn't hard to fool." Zuko looked down at Katara, who laughed.

"Yeah, but his heart's in the right place. That's more than I can say for you." She jabbed him in the chest lightly, and Zuko took the small, delicate hand.

"Ever since we invaded that town, it's been different," Zuko said softly. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of Katara's face. Then he smiled. "I know you really did like throwing that snow ball at me."

"Maybe. Wanna create more distractions for Toph and Aang?" Katara smiled slyly.

Zuko lifted an eyebrow, and it vanished into his sloppy bangs. "No. I think we need our own distraction, don't you?"

Katara put her arms around Zuko's neck, and they leaned in…

"SON OF A FIRE CRACKER!" Zuko bellowed, clutching the back of his head, where something small and wet had stung it.

"AANG!"


End file.
